You’ve heard people joke about the green, furry things that used to be food in their fridge. Maybe you’ve scoffed at that kind of mold yourself. That is usually a problem that is easily solved. Throw out the old stuff.

It’s a different matter when it comes to mold in your home. You definitely don’t want him around. It poses significant problems when you live with it constantly. It can affect the integrity of the walls and foundation of a house. It can cause a variety of health problems. People react differently, but children and the elderly are the most susceptible. Mold can cause respiratory problems, such as wheezing, shortness of breath; dry, dry cough and irritation of the nose and throat.

Mold is a fungus that forms in damp places. It produces tiny spores that become airborne and settle in moist places where they grow. You’ll often find mold growing on wood, walls, ceilings, attics, basements, and other damp environments. It has to have moisture to thrive.

Mold invades our homes where there are leaky pipes, unventilated areas, and where there is condensation in heating and air conditioning systems and ducts. It can also form where there are structural defects that cause water ingress, such as a leaky roof, leaks inside walls, and poorly installed windows with substandard flashing.

You might look for mold yourself in obvious places around windows, sinks, and water pipes. You can also detect the smell of mold. Some mildew on bathroom tiles is common and can be controlled with a solution of bleach and water. However, when buying or selling a home, a more thorough search is necessary. A home inspector’s job is to find you in places you may not know to look for.

Laws vary from state to state regarding what to report about mold, and your home inspector should know what laws or regulations apply where you live. Many homeowners insurance policies offer very limited coverage for mold damage, so you want to eliminate as much of the problem as possible.

Your home inspector can use a thermal imager to detect moisture that you might miss. It will also include comprehensive leak detection and moisture analysis, air quality analysis, relative humidity testing, and drainage evaluation. Some professionals also use a fiber optic camera to inspect wall cavities.

Your home inspector may or may not find mold. However, if mold is present or appears to be present, samples can be taken for analysis to eliminate uncertainty. There’s usually a separate lab charge for this, and it’s well worth it.

Serious mold infections may require the use of an EPA-registered fungicide. You should also take steps to make sure mold doesn’t come back and remove the source of moisture that allowed it to grow in the first place. Mold will return where there are ongoing water problems, such as leaking siding, broken water lines, or storm damage. Other problem areas are where water enters through foundations or concrete floors, or if part of the home has consistently high humidity.

Believe it or not, mold can enter your home on the bodies of pets, or even on the soles of people’s shoes. The Asian custom of taking off your shoes before entering a house is actually very helpful in preventing the intrusion of mold and other things.

Prevention today can reduce problems tomorrow. When it comes to mold, make sure a home inspector finds it and takes care of unwanted sources of moisture. It will make life more available to everyone involved.